Game of Fours - Blogger Challenge

A fellow moto-blogger, SonjaM, tagged me in Game of 4's. A challenge in which four questions are provided, to be answered by four answers to each of the questions, and then to nominate four other bloggers. And to quote RichardM "since this wasn't done on FB, I'll take a crack at it. I tend to ignore posts like that on FB."

The four questions are as follows:

1)  What is your favorite food?

2)  What is your favorite drink?

3)  Places you've been?

4)  Names that you are known by?

Well, I've taken a day or so to contemplate my answers and I think this is about the best they are going to get.  Fun fact though, I type out the template and then worked my way back from the bottom as I answered them.  And yes, I usually read magazines from back to front too.

QUESTION ONE - FAVORITE FOOD

1.  Potatoes - Yes, I love all potatoes.  I don't think I've met a potato I haven't liked.  Russet, yukon gold, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.  And having said that, I love them prepared all kinds of ways too. Mashed potatoes are my favorite, but after that there are roasted, french fries, scalloped, baked, hash browns, etc.  

2.  Bread - Who doesn't love bread?  I am lucky in that I do not have a gluten allergy or sensitivity.  I think I inherit my love of bread from my mother.  She could sit down and eat a whole loaf if she could get away with it.  Without discipline I probably could too.  My favorite would be sourdough, although I also enjoy french bread, baguettes, flat breads, and sprouted bread like the Ezekiel bread we use every morning for toast.  My love of bread also ties in with my next food answer - soup.

3.  Soup - Mmmm soup.  I think I also get my love of soup from my mother.  We never did have a lot of money growing up so there was always a big pot of soup on the stove so we could eat our fill. I still try to make at least one pot of soup a week and rotate around the different kinds depending on our mood.  A few days ago I made a Mexican Bean Soup, tonight was potato onion soup.  A week or so ago I made an African Peanut Soup.  I just love soup.

4.  Pizza - Pizza is a food group in and of itself isn't it? Over the years pizza has morphed for us. What used to consist of ordering delivery of the typical American pizza with a lot meat and cheese has evolved into homemade pizza dough with thick tomato sauce topped with a lot of veggies.  Maybe I love pizza so much because I worked at a diner in high school where we made the pizza dough by hand.  Maybe it is because the base is bread and it is a carry over from answer number two. One of the best pizzas we've had recently was at the Pizza Research Institute in Eugene.  We were there in June with Chris L. from Everyday Riding.  Their "#1- roasted potato, pear, and pesto pizza"  and their "#6-spicy baked tofu, garlic, and black olive pizza" were both so delicious.

QUESTION TWO - FAVORITE DRINKS

1.  Tea - Iced tea, hot tea, chai tea lattes, green tea, black tea, rooibos, herbal tea....I love all tea. Every morning Troubadour and I split a pot of tea.  Sometimes on a Sunday we'll drink two or three pots of tea before noon, and we aren't opposed to sneaking a little flavored whisky in there on the weekends or evening either.  We also have a half-gallon jug of home brewed Red Rose tea in the fridge as well - decaf though so we can drink iced tea at any time of day.  Stash Tea is one of my favorite brands though since it is based in Oregon.

2.  Coffee - You knew coffee would have to make an appearance. While I don't drink near the amount of coffee as I used to and we don't even have coffee in the house anymore, I still like to partake. Saturday mornings at our coffee gatherings I'll have a 16 ounce triple shot vanilla soy latte.  Most mornings when I get to work at 7 am I will walk to Starbucks and order a triple shot of espresso over ice in a grande cup with one pump of vanilla topped with about an ounce of soy.  If it has been a crazy day at work I'll get one in the afternoon as well, but if it is after 2:30 pm I'll order decaf. 

3.  Fizzy Water - Club soda, Soda Water, Perrier, San Pellegrino, LaCroix, a fizzy water by any other name.....  I don't drink soda, diet or otherwise.  I don't enjoy sweet drinks, but I do enjoy the burn of a cold carbonated beverage. I try to limit anything with natural flavors in the ingredient list so mostly I drink plain fizzy water.

4.  Water - Eau, agua, wasser, Nectar of the Gods.  There is nothing like a cool glass of water to quench the thirst.  Whether out on the bikes or out for a drive we are always bringing bottles of water with us.  Most of the time in restaurants I'll just have the water instead of tea or coffee. Partly because of frugality and partly because the tea or coffee is never quite the way I'd like it. Makes me seem a little picky doesn't it?

I know most of you are probably thinking that these are quite boring answers.  No beer, no specialty drinks.....but I honestly haven't met a beer I like enough to drink a whole bottle or glass of.  I've always been a hard liquor kind of gal (what's in a name?) but even then I am pretty choosy so it is easier to just drink the four items listed above and not be disappointed.

QUESTION THREE - PLACES I'VE BEEN

1.  Montreal, Quebec - The one and only time I've been to Montreal was in January of 2001 for Troubadour's immigration interview. With temperatures hovering at -35˚C to -38˚C (-31˚F to -36˚F) it was quite a snow covered experience.  I would definitely love to return one day. Since I don't have any pictures from that time, I took a picture of our tickets to Notre-Dame Basilica and a momento that I still had in a treasure box.

2.  Victoria, British Columbia - The one and only time I've been to Victoria was in June 2014 where we walked around the city, toured Butchart Gardens, and of course met up with fellow Blogger Princess ScooterPie and her Husband.  It would be fun to return for a little two-wheeled touring.

3.  San Francisco, California -  We have visited San Francisco a few times. The first time was the summer of 2011 for my 40th birthday.  We also returned in January 2013 to meet up with fellow Bloggers Rogey, BobSkoot, KT-Did, Guido & Andrea, and MQ01.

4.  Chicago, Illinois - Another place I have only ever been to one time.  Back in the summer of 1982 (I think - between Grade 5 & 6) I travelled with my mother, brother and grandparents across the country in the grandparent's VW van to see my grandfather's family in Chicago.  It took several weeks to drive there and back stopping hither and yon along the way.  I do not have any pictures from the trip, but I'll always have the memories.

QUESTION FOUR - NAMES THAT I'M KNOWN BY

1.  Trobairitz - I have no one to blame but myself.  Troubadour started his blog quite some time before I decided to follow in his footsteps in December 2008.  When searching for something to call myself and/or my blog, I discovered that a Trobairitz was the female counterpart to a Troubadour - thus an online moniker was born.

2.  Brandy Beans - Thanks Jenny-fur.  Back in the early 90's I worked at a health food /bulk food store.  One of my co-workers Jennifer didn't like to be called Jenny or Jen, so I started calling her Jenny-fur. Her retaliation was to call me Brandy Beans after the tasty chocolate confection most often found in Germany, but we sold by the truckloads around the holidays at the store.  I still use this today as my name on Facebook.

3.  Brandoso - Thanks Chip.  Troubadour's stepfather is known for giving everyone nicknames.  It is what he does.  For some reason his nickname for me was Brandoso.

4.  Ape Arms - Thanks Mom.   I was a lanky child, all arms and legs.  Truth be told I still have long arms and legs.  My mother, on a regular basis when she would need something off a high shelf or out of a high cupboard, would dollar across the house while laughing "hey ape arms..." I am sure she said it out of love.  I included this one because if we can't laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at?

So there you have it.  And having said all of that I nominate the following fellow bloggers to rise to the challenge.  If you have already been nominated by the time I post this or just plain do not want to participate, please let me know and I'll nominate another victim participant.

1.  Barb from Living ...and Running (fka Riding and Running) - Barb's post HERE

2.  Stuart from Tales From the Road - Stuart's post HERE

3.  Andrew from Braais, Beers and Bikes

4.  Andrew from Bandit Rider  - Andrew's post HERE

I nominated four bloggers located across the globe thinking it would be interesting to see how similar or different the answers might be.

- Au Revoir

"  It may be that all games are silly.  But then, so are human." - Robert Lynd

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